I've found that a great way to remove dust from my living room drapes is to just place them in the dryer with a dryer sheet and let them spin for five minutes or so. They come out of the dryer dust-free, wrinkle-free, and they smell great!

Questions

Would it be safe to machine wash heavy draperies - no fabric content is listed, however I believe it is Rayon. It also states dry clean only.

Alesha from Neosho, MO

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Most Recent Answer

By Claudia- MD (Guest Post)09/26/2007

Drapes are a pretty big investment; I don't think I would risk putting them in the washer. The rule seems to be if the tag says "Dry Clean" you can probably wash in the washer (cold water, no dryer) but if the tag says "Dry Clean Only".....you're better off not risking the washer.

I got a pair of old, silky feeling oriental curtains from my great grandmother about a week ago. I love them, the problem is they smell. I have washed them three times; using detergent the first, detergent and dish washing liquid (someone told me to try that) the second, and the third, letting them soak, then washing them in a mix of the detergent, dish soap, and half a bottle of fabreze. So far, nothing has worked, please help me with this.

<p>Nervarah</p>

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Most Recent Answer

By Jill (Guest Post)10/08/2005

Toss about a 1/2 cup to a full cup of baking soda into the washer when laundering, and add 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Hang to dry in the fresh air. Also, try using Gain laundry detergent when you launder the curtains. It has a good reputation for even getting out the smell of smoke from house fires.

I have a question about the machine for cleaning curtains. I'm looking for a special machine which is able to clean the fabrics right on the windows. It can be either for wet cleaning or chemical cleaning? Thanks for info.

RE: Cleaning Curtains Without Taking Down

A home steamer with a five-foot hose is great for tedious things or items you don't want to move like curtains, comforters, and bed skirts, and of course you can do clothes. With a home steamer, like the HoMedics Perfect Steam, you pour water into the canister, your steam is ready in 45 seconds, and you can steam for 40 minutes. And there's a hanger bar for your garments.

You see clothes coming into fine department stores in boxes, all creased and wrinkled, and most get steamed. The claim is steaming is five times faster and safer for clothes than ironing. It's definitely safer for crushable fabrics, like velvet and corduroy. But you still want to test an area first if you're steaming something that can melt or change colors, like metallic threads. Good luck. (03/23/2010)